Oct. 26, 2011
LONG BEACH, Calif. -
TOP DRAWER SOCCER UPPERCLASSMEN TOP 100
Three San Diego State men's soccer players have been named to the Top Drawer Soccer Upperclassmen Top 100, the website announced today. The rankings include all seniors, juniors and sophomores across the country.
In today's rankings, senior co-captain Daniel Steres (Calabasas, Calif.) is 38th, junior Jose Altamirano (San Diego/Southwest HS) is 60th and sophomore Miles Byass (Highland, Calif.) is 73rd. Only Altamirano (67th) was on the website's preseason rankings on Aug. 22.
The Aztecs' first two-time captain since Raul Bautista in 2005 and 2006, Steres has 11 points on four goals and three assists this season as a defender. Steres has started all 14 matches and leads the team with 1,289 minutes played, while helping SDSU post four shutouts and a 1.03 goals against average. A two-time all-Pac-12 honoree, including a second-team pick last year, Steres has started 62 times over his 66 appearances for his career, registering 32 points on 12 goals and eight assists.
Altamirano, meanwhile, has contributed three goals and two assists for eight points this year, while logging 1,040 minutes in the midfield (the most by a non-defender or goalkeeper). His 34 corner kicks lead the team and he has 32 shots in 14 games (all starts). Last season, Altamirano had 11 points on one goal and nine assists en route to being named a second-team all-Pac-12 selection and a first-team Pac-12 All-Academic Team pick. He was an honorable mention all-Pac-12 selection as a freshman in 2009.
Byass, who was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week for the second time this season on Tuesday, leads San Diego State in points (15), assists (5), shots (50) and shots on goal (22), and is tied for the team lead in goals (5). Among the Pac-12 leaders, Byass is third in points per game (1.07) and shots per game (3.57), tied for fourth in goals per game (0.36) and game-winning goals (2), and fifth in assists per game (0.36). He has 25 career points on 10 goals and five assists, all over his last 19 matches dating back to last season.
The Aztecs (9-3-2, 3-2 Pac-12), who are ranked 20th in the latest College Soccer News poll, welcome Oregon State (3 p.m. PT Friday) and Washington (1 p.m. PT Sunday) this weekend for a pair of home games at SDSU Sports Deck. The Beavers (5-8-2, 3-3-1 Pac-12) have won two straight matches, while the Huskies (10-3-2, 5-2 Pac-12) have won five consecutive games and are ranked as high as No. 19 by Soccer America.
Admission is free to all SDSU home contests.
Upcoming Schedule for Aztec Men's Soccer (admission is free to home games)
Friday, Oct. 28 -- * Oregon State -- SDSU Sports Deck -- 3 p.m. PT
Sunday, Oct. 30 -- * Washington -- SDSU Sports Deck -- 1 p.m. PT
Friday, Nov. 4 -- at * Stanford -- Palo Alto, Calif. -- 7 p.m. PT
Sunday, Nov. 6 -- at * California -- Berkeley, Calif. -- 2 p.m. PT
Saturday, Nov. 12 -- * UCLA -- SDSU Sports Deck -- 2 p.m. PT
* Pac-12 Conference Game